Preserving the House

Campaign priority

Preserving the House

Monticello is an American icon—the only private residence in the country designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every year, nearly half a million people make the pilgrimage to the mountaintop to experience Jefferson’s world firsthand, drawn by the power of his ideas and the enduring relevance of his legacy.

Since 1923, the Foundation has been working project-by-project to authentically restore the House and landscape. Monticello is a work in progress, just as it was in Jefferson’s time.

Ongoing restoration and vigilant maintenance are required to protect this historic treasure—and its lessons—in perpetuity.

Research drives the Foundation’s efforts to reveal Monticello to our visitors.

Nearly two centuries after Jefferson’s death, we are still making discoveries about the historic fabric of the House and its architectural features. The main-floor rooms, arguably the most important interiors in America, were even more colorful and complex in Jefferson’s time than currently represented. The private family spaces on the upper floors—including the Nursery, Grandsons’ Room, and Dome Room—offer exciting opportunities to expand the visitor experience, as do the cellars and dependencies (storage, work, and living areas surrounding the main House). We are constantly exploring new ways to interpret the House and landscape for a multi-generational audience.

With your support, Monticello enters into a transformational phase of restoration—perhaps the most significant in our history.

Funding Opportunities

$250,000—$3,000,000
Sponsor the restoration and interpretation of specific rooms in the House $2,500,000
Name and endow Monticello’s Architectural Historian $5,000,000
Name and endow Monticello’s Department of Restoration